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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

[Day12] Panda

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Our sad last day in China... our flight back to Malaysia are around 11pm.
But, we are not going to sit down, upload our pictures and doing any video edits on our last day... today is the day to do see everything (hopefully) in Chengdu.

We started our day with a short breakfast. We booked our visit to the Panda Research base yesterday. A van will pick us up at 9am. I've been here with a bunch or europeans and my Hostel (Sim Cosy) bartender act as our tourist guide. He knows a lot.

Cute Baby Panda :)
But this time, I remember some guy with the driver become our guide. Well, didn't pay attention at all... I just read whatever little note they put on the observation deck. Mornings is the good time to observe Panda, because mostly they're active. Play around having their meal...

Red Panda
The difference that I noticed between the research base on 2010 and 2013 are the Red Panda conservation area. The new Red Panda observation is like a safari... we're able to enter the conservation area were the Red Panda roaming around you... they walk beside you and between your legs. But caution... they're not like cats that can be petted. They looks domesticated by obviously, there're small bears... you can see their claws are sharp and the length is half of your fingers. You don't want that claws to touch fondly on your skull don't you... but anyway, Red Panda are pretty damn cute.
Towards Wenshu Monastery
Then we return back to our hostel for lunch.
While Ain took her rest... me, famy and dura explore Chengdu a little bit more. We went to visit the Wenshu Monastery. Wenshu Monastery is a popular tourist attraction in Chengdu, but the surroundings (outside) the monastery are equally interesting.

They preserve the old building around the monastery... you'll walk along interesting old chinese architecture. Currently, these building serve as a restaurant, medicine house and souvenir shop.

one thing for sure... if I have the chance to return back to Chengdu... I'll hunt this guy down... period!
Wenshu Monastery
Then we enter the quiet Wenshu Monastery.
The smell of the incense fill the monastery air... like most of religious places, the sense of tranquility is monumental. Secretly we took our cameras and snap a few shots despite the warnings... sorry. The urge to share the experience is strong.

We whispered when we talk... walk slowly and leave in peace. Respect.
Difference from Tibetan Monastery... the monks always murmurs the Tibetan Buddhism Scriptures... with lots of incense and candles made of yak fat. And again different from Kek Lok Si in Penang, Malaysia... who  always vibrant, colorful and interesting.

I like to visit all of them... religious places. For me the more I experience or learn other practices and faith... the more I understand why I love my faith so much. The reason to believe.

Wenshu Monastery
Then we took the metro towards Tianfu Square. We wish to ended our visit to one of the famous mosque in Chengdu... the Chengdu Huangcheng Mosque.

Tianfu Square during the day is different from night... there's music played everywhere with dancing fountain. Lots of locals hanging around Tianfu square with families and friends. We stroll around Tianfu Square for photos and observing the surroundings.

Then headed to the mosque.

Tianfu Square
Blurry group photo with Mao Statue. :P
Chengdu Huangcheng Mosque
We arrived at the mosque after painstakingly walk few kilometers around the building... I've always experience this when searching for mosque in China. Actually its really near Tianfu Square... my mind always projects the usual mosque in Malaysia. However, in China... their architecture is different. But, mostly, inside the mosque is fairly similar. 

I remember it just pass Asr when we arrived... the wood floor is lavish. I've been to mosque in Xi'an, Guangzhou and Lhasa... all of them have wood floor instead of full carpet floor like we have most mosque in Malaysia. I guess wood preserve more heat during winter... maybe, because I believe all place that I've been to in China... their winter reaches below than 5 Celsius... 

Tranquil and automatically the sense of belonging felt greater. Again... I felt really grateful to have the chance to visit all the places that I've been to... It creates what I'm today. The way I think... the way I attract to people... the more you travel, you'll realize that everybody is the same. Different ideology, religion, race, color of the skin, language, customs, culture gave the world its identity. Gave human the identity... how vibrant and colorful we're. 

Embrace Humanity... greed that sets us apart.

*****

We return back to our hostel, pack our things up and have our early dinner. Famy and dura return back to Wenshu for a couple of Pandas (soft toys)... sat down at our hostel lounge until the sun sets.

We took taxi towards Chengdu Shuangliu Internation Airport... check in early adn summarized our journey from Siem Reap to Chengdu... hopefully one day, we'll travel again together. 

Terima Kasih 
Ain Zalikha
Khairul Fahmi
Mohamad Adura

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